Electric power hand tools such as portable electric jigsaws and the like are known in the art. Generally, they include an electric motor for driving a shaft, with a tool such as a saw blade attached to the shaft. The electric motor is often an AC, DC or a universal motor, and is contained in a housing. In the case of a jigsaw as well as other cutting tools, a so-called foot may be provided connected to the base of the tool housing that includes a generally flat platform for engaging a workpiece surface. The foot allows the power tool to move over the workpiece surface to achieve an accurate and desired result.
Some jigsaws and other power tools may feature a foot assembly that has a foot that is tiltably connected to the tool housing. By tilting the foot, the tool blade is able to address a workpiece at an angle to achieve a beveled cut. By way of example, by tilting the foot to a 45° angle to a jigsaw housing, the jigsaw blade is able to cut an underlying workpiece at a 45° angle. Although tiltable power tool feet are generally known, problems with them remain. For example, mechanisms for locking the foot at a desired angle to the tool housing are often burdensome to use. Often a screwdriver, wrench, or the like is required to tighten one or more threaded locking members such as bolts. Tightening and loosening of the locking member requires time and effort. Also, the screwdriver, wrench, or other tool must be carried about with the saw. Sawdust and other debris created by the jigsaw can also combine with saw lubricants to foul the threaded locking member.
Solutions to these and other problems have been proposed. For example, it has been proposed to use a locking lever to lock the foot in place at a desired orientation to the tool housing. To date, however, the locking levers used have been relatively costly to manufacture and cumbersome to install and adjust. Further, known hand operating levers may offer less frictional holding strength than do tool tightened threaded bolts and the like. The substantial vibration developed during operation of a jigsaw can result in the foot slipping and changing orientation angle when locked with known levers.
Solutions to movement of the foot have also been proposed. For example, it is known to provide an angle guide consisting of notches cut into an edge of an arched portion of the foot that connects the platform to the housing. The notches can be engaged by a locking formation such as a stud on the housing once a desired orientation is reached. Such configurations have met only limited success, however. Vibration of the tool may result in the locking formation disengaging from the notch. Vibration may also cause the foot to disengage from the stud when it separates vertically from the tool over the top of the stud.
These and other problems remain unresolved in the art.